Intravenous (IV) pole supporting systems

ABSTRACT

An intravenous (IV) support system includes a moveable base and an upright IV pole. The base comprises a lower wheeled plate, an upper plate having a through hole, and an upright elongate tube fastened to the upper and lower plates. The tube is aligned with the through hole of the upper plate to form a passage for the IV pole. A bolt transversely extends through the wall of the tube to form a transverse supporting surface for the IV pole. The IV pole comprises, at a lower end thereof, a pin extending from a flange so that the IV pole may be fitted in a through bore of and supported by a mounting adapter mounted to a patient support frame. The system allows the IV pole to be easily transferable among numerous stand-alone bases and patient support frames, and steadily retained by the bases and mounting adapters mounted to the patient support frames without positive locking mechanisms.

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application is a continuation in part of U.S.application Ser. No. 09/260,509, filed Mar. 2, 1999, entitled:“INTRAVENOUS (IV) POLE FOR TRANSPOT WITH MULTIPLE INFUSION DEVICES”,which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No.60/076,740, filed Mar. 4, 1998, entitled: “IV POLE FOR TRANSPORT WITHMULTIPLE INFUSION DEVICES”, and U.S. Provisional Application Serial No.60/089,851, filed Jun. 19, 1998, entitled “IV POLE FOR TRANSPORT WITHMULTIPLE INFUSION DEVICES”. The disclosures of the application Nos.09/260,509, 60/076,740, and 60/089,851 are all incorporated by referenceherein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of medical supportsand stands, and more particularly, to an intravenous (IV) supportassembly including a plurality of different mounting adapters, eachmountable to a patient support frame, and standalone bases which areadapted to support an IV pole for carrying medical equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] An IV support assembly includes an IV pole for carrying medicalequipment thereon and a mounting adapter separable from the IV pole. Themounting adapter is mounted to a patient support frame and can then beused to support the IV pole. The patient support frame can be a bed,stretcher, cot, and the like. As can be appreciated, the supportrailings or rails on the many different support frames can have manypossible configurations, including rectangular, circular, and othercross-sectional configurations. The rails can also include recesses orreceptacles used for mounting IV support assemblies to the rails.

[0004] In the medical and patient care environments, a need frequentlyarises to stably and securely mount the IV support assembly to manydifferent patient support frames. For example, when a patient istransferred between first and second patient support frames or beds, anIV support assembly including a mounting adapter secured to the firstbed and an IV pole carrying a variety of medical equipment thereon(e.g., plural IV containers and infusion pumps for a patient) must bequickly transferred and mounted to the second bed with minimaldisturbance to the equipment. The IV pole itself is preferablytransferred directly between the beds without having to move each pieceof medical equipment individually to another pole.

[0005] Prior art IV mounting adapters and poles are unusable for directtransfer between patient support frames. For instance, the patientsupport frames often have different patient support rail configurationsrendering the same mounting adapter unusable on both patient supportframes. Even if appropriately configured mounting adapters are providedfor the rails of both patient support frames, a single IV pole willgenerally be incompatible and thus unusable with both mounting adapters.Use of mounting adapters hung from or otherwise loosely coupled to thepatient support frame facilitates IV support assembly transfer betweenpatient support frames, but at the expense of IV pole stability.

[0006] An exemplary prior art IV support assembly is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 3,709,372. Disclosed is an IV pole 44 supported by a mountingadapter or clamp 50 mounted to a patient support frame or stretcher 10.Mounting adapter 50 disadvantageously requires a pair of perpendicularrails 14,18, instead of a single rail. This arrangement limits the useof mounting adapter 50 to patient support frames having suchperpendicularly arranged railing pairs. Because mounting adapter 50defines through bores or channels of circular cross-section forreceiving the rails, the use of mounting adapter 50 is also limited touse with the pair of perpendicular rails of circular cross-sections.

[0007] Another prior art IV support assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,149,036. Disclosed is an IV pole 10 hung or suspended from a rail27 having planar outer surfaces by a mounting adapter 22. Mountingadapter 22 is a hanging bracket that can be disadvantageously dislodgedor decoupled from rail 27 during transport of the bed between locationssince the mounting adapter is not secured or clamped to rail 27.Additionally, because mounting adapter 27 is configured to engage theplanar surfaces of rail 27, mounting adapter 27 is limited to use withsuch rails having planar surfaces.

[0008] Another prior art IV support assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No 3,835,486. Disclosed is a patient support frame 10 having a mountingadapter 12 fixed at a predetermined location to patient support frame10. Disadvantageously, mounting adapter 12 can not be convenientlyrelocated to another location on support frame 10 or to another patientsupport frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide atleast one mounting adapter each configured to be mounted to a differentpatient support frame configuration.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide an IVsupport assembly including at least one mounting adapter mountable to asingle rail of a patient support frame and an IV pole supported by themounting adapter.

[0011] A further object of the present invention is to provide an IVpole efficiently movable from a first mounting adapter on a firstpatient support frame to a second mounting adapter on a second patientsupport frame.

[0012] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide anadapter kit including a plurality of different mounting adapters eachadapted for a different patient support frame configuration and eachcapable of supporting an IV pole.

[0013] Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an IVsupport system including a moveable stand-alone base and an upright IVpole to allow the IV pole to be easily placed in and supported by thestand-alone base with no positive locking mechanisms required. The basecan be used with or without the IV pole.

[0014] These and other objects of the present invention are achieved byan IV support assembly including a mounting adapter and an upright IVpole. The mounting adapter is adapted to be mounted to a single rail ofa patient support frame, and includes an insertion member and a lockingmechanism. The IV pole is supported by the mounting adapter, andincludes a hollow lower end for receiving the insertion member of themounting adapter. The IV pole is secured to the insertion member by thelocking mechanism of the insertion member. A variety of differentmounting adapters each configured for a different rail configuration areavailable for supporting a common IV pole, so the IV pole istransferable between mounting adapters mounted to different rails.

[0015] The foregoing objects of the present invention are also achievedby an IV support assembly usable with a patient support frame having asingle rail, the IV support assembly including a mounting adapteradapted to be removably mounted to the single rail, and also includingan upright elongate pole member supportable by the mounting adapter.

[0016] The foregoing objects of the present invention are also achievedby a mounting adapter for mounting an IV pole to a single rail of apatient support frame, the IV pole having a hollow lower end, themounting adapter including a separable clamp portion including first andsecond opposed, mating clamp members together defining a transversechannel for receiving the single rail. The mounting adapter alsoincludes an insertion member extending from the first clamp member forinsertion into the hollow lower end of the IV pole, and a locking memberfor removably securing the IV pole to the insertion member.

[0017] The foregoing objects of the present invention are also achievedby a mounting adapter for mounting an intravenous IV pole to a singlerail of a patient support frame, the IV pole having a hollow lower end,the single rail having a recess formed in an upper surface thereof, themounting adapter including an elongate member having upper and lowermale portions for respective removable insertion into the hollow lowerend of the IV pole and the recess formed in the single rail. Themounting adapter also includes a locking mechanism for securing thehollow lower end of the IV pole to the upper male portion of theelongate member.

[0018] The foregoing objects of the present invention are also achievedby an adapter kit for mounting an IV pole to a rail of a patient supportframe, the IV pole having a hollow lower end, the rail having at leasttwo configurations, the adapter kit including at least two mountingadapters respectively corresponding to the at least two railconfigurations. Each of the at least two mounting adapters includesmounting means for removably mounting the mounting adapter to the rail,an insertion member for removable insertion thereof into the hollowlower end of the IV pole, and a locking mechanism for securing thehollow lower end of the IV pole to the insertion member.

[0019] The foregoing objects of the present invention are also achievedby a method for mounting an intravenous (IV) support assembly to firstand second patient support frames, the first patient support frameincluding a single rail having a first configuration, the second patientsupport frame including a single rail having a second configuration, theIV support assembly including an IV pole for carrying medical equipmentthereon and first and second mounting adapters, the first mountingadapter having a configuration corresponding to the first configurationand the second mounting adapter having a configuration corresponding tothe second configuration. The method includes the steps of mounting thefirst mounting adapter to the first patient support frame, supportingthe IV pole with the first mounting adapter, mounting the secondmounting adapter to the second patient support frame, removing the IVpole from the first mounting adapter, and supporting the IV pole withthe second mounting adapter.

[0020] The foregoing objects of the present invention are also achievedby an intravenous support assembly, comprising a base and an IV pole.The base comprises at least one base member and an upright elongate polemember being connected to the base member. The upright elongate polemember has an internal hollow space communicated with the outside via anopening formed at an upper end of the upright elongate pole member, anda transverse supporting surface formed in the internal hollow space andspaced downwardly from the upper end. The IV pole has a lower endportion adapted to be telescopically received in the internal hollowspace of the upright elongate pole member and fully supported from belowby the transverse supporting surface.

[0021] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the basecomprises a lower plate member and an upper plate member having athrough hole in alignment with the tube-like upright elongate polemember so as to form a passage for the IV pole. A bolt transverselyextends through a circumferential wall of said tube-like upper endportion the an internal hollow space of the upright elongate pole memberto define the transverse supporting surface. The base can be used asportable tray when the IV pole is not placed therein.

[0022] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, theIV pole is made, at least in the lower portion thereof, in form of amale portion comprising a pin of a smaller dimension extendingdownwardly from a flange of a larger dimension so as the IV pole may besupported a mounting adapter which is removably mountable to a patientsupport frame and has a recess being sized and shaped to receive the pintherein. Preferably, the lower end portion of the IV pole comprises ametal sleeve tightly encapsulating a wooden dowel in which the pin ispartially embedded. The IV pole is therefore very light in weight yetmechanically strong.

[0023] In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, akit comprising a stand-alone moveable base, a mounting adapter and an IVpole is provided. It is also within the scope of the present inventionto provide a method of using the kit to quickly move the IV pole from apatient support frame to the stand-alone moveable base and vice versa.The method comprises a) mounting the mounting adapter to a single railof the patient support frame; b) supporting the IV pole from below byone of the base and the mounting adapter at one of first and secondtransverse supporting surfaces, respectively; c) removing the IV poleand inserting it into the other of the base and mounting adapter untilthe lower end of the IV pole rests on and is fully supported from belowby the other of the first and second transverse supporting surfaces,respectively. The system and method of the present invention allows theIV pole to be easily transferable among numerous stand-alone bases andpatient support frames, and steadily retained by the bases and mountingadapters mounted to the patient support frames without positive lockingmechanisms.

[0024] Still other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed description, wherein the preferred embodiments of the inventionare shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best modecontemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, theinvention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its severaldetails are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, allwithout departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings anddescription thereof are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, andnot as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and notby limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, whereinelements having the same reference numeral designations represent likeelements throughout and wherein:

[0026]FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of an IVsupport assembly including a mounting adapter and an IV pole accordingto the present invention, the mounting adapter being clamped to a railof a patient support frame and the IV pole being supported by themounting adapter;

[0027]FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a first alternative arrangementof a mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0028]FIG. 2B is an elevational view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 2A;

[0029]FIG. 2C is a bottom view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 2A;

[0030]FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a second alternative arrangementof a mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0031]FIG. 3B is an elevational view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 3A;

[0032]FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a third alternative arrangementof a mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0033]FIG. 4B is an elevational view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 4A;

[0034]FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a fourth alternative arrangementof a mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0035]FIG. 5B is an elevational view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 5A;

[0036]FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a fifth alternative arrangementof a mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0037]FIG. 6B is a bottom view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 6A;

[0038]FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the IV pole taken through theline 7-7 in FIG. 1;

[0039]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative arrangement of aninsertion member according to the present invention; and

[0040]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a transverselocking mechanism according to the present invention.

[0041]FIG. 10A is perspective view of another alternative arrangement ofa mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0042]FIG. 10B is an elevational view of the mounting adapter of FIG.10A;

[0043]FIG. 11 A is an elevational view of another alternativearrangement of a mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0044]FIG. 11B is a top view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 1 A;

[0045]FIG. 12A is an elevational view of another alternative arrangementof a mounting adapter according to the present invention;

[0046]FIG. 12B is a top view of the mounting adapter of FIG. 12A;

[0047]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a system comprising an IV poleand a movable base, according to the present invention;

[0048]FIGS. 14A and 14B are front, partially sectional views of thesystem shown in FIG. 13 when the IV pole is received in and removed fromthe base, respectively; and

[0049]FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing an alternative arrangement forthe upper tray of the base illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 14B.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0050] For convenience, the invention will be described in relation tothe orientations depicted in FIGS. 1-12 and consequently, terms such as“above” and “below” as used herein are to be construed in the relativesense.

[0051] Referring first to FIG. 1, depicted is an IV support assembly 14manufactured in accordance with the principles of the present invention.IV support assembly 14 includes a mounting adapter 16 and an IV pole 18.As depicted in FIG. 1, mounting adapter 16 is clamped to a patientsupport frame 20. Patient support frame 20 is conventional and can be,for example, a hospital bed, stretcher, cot, or the like. Support frame20 includes an elongate peripheral rail 22 extending around an entireperiphery of a patient support web 24. Patient support web 24 can be anyconventional web suitable for providing a supporting surface for apatient. Patient support web 24 is attached to peripheral rail 22 usingany known technique.

[0052] As depicted, IV pole 18 is supported in an upright or verticalposition by mounting adapter 16 clamped to peripheral rail 22, asdescribed in detail below. IV pole 18 includes an upright or verticallydirected elongate tubular member 26, an upright elongate pole extension28, and a transverse member 30. Tubular member 26 includes a hollowlower end 32 supported by mounting adapter 16. Pole extension 28 issupported by tubular member 26 and is secured thereto in an extendedposition by a locking or release pin 34. Transverse member 30 forcarrying medical equipment is fixed as by a weld, fastener or otherjoining means of suitable strength, at a medial portion thereof to anupper end of pole extension 28. Transverse member 30 includes a pair oftransversely opposed arms adapted to carry medical equipment includingIV bags and the like. The joining means must have sufficient strength todurably withstand torque forces applied thereto resulting from theweight of equipment carried by transverse member 30.

[0053] Mounting adapter 16 for supporting IV pole 18 can be clamped toperipheral rail 22 at any location along peripheral rail 22. Mountingadapter 16 can be made of aluminum, stainless steel or other corrosionresistant metal, or of a molded plastic of suitable resiliency andstrength to provide a durable and sturdy support for IV pole 18.Advantageously, IV pole 18 is removably secured to the top of mountingadapter 16 by a resiliently biased locking or release pin 36 engaginghollow lower end 32 of IV pole 18. Release pin 36 forms part of atransverse locking mechanism retained by mounting adapter 18. Anembodiment of the transverse locking mechanism is depicted in detail inFIG. 9.

[0054] The present invention provides a variety of different mountingadapters to accommodate a variety of different configurations of patientsupport frames. These different mounting adapters collectively form amounting adapter kit. More specifically, the variety of mountingadapters, i.e., the mounting adapter kit, permits mounting of the IVpole to different rail configurations, for example, to rails havingdifferent cross-sectional configurations. Although a variety ofdifferent mounting adapters are provided, a common Iv pole isadvantageously used with each of the mounting adapters, thus permittingtransportability and transferability of the common IV pole betweendifferent mounting adapters mounted to different rail configurations.

[0055] Alternative configurations or arrangements for the mountingadapter are now described. Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C, depicted is a firstalternative arrangement of a mounting adapter 40. Mounting adapter 40includes a first or upper clamp member 42 and a second or lower opposed,clamp member 44. Each of first and second clamp members 42 and 44includes an inner surface or wall of arcuate, and preferablysemi-circular, cross-section along a length thereof, for engaging acorresponding surface of a rail 46 of substantially circularcross-section. First and second clamp members 42 and 44 together definea transverse through bore or channel 48 through mounting adapter 40 forreceiving rail 46.

[0056] First or upper clamp member 42 is firmly clamped to lower orsecond clamp member 44, for example, by four threaded bolts (not shown)received by four respective threaded passageways formed through theclamp members. Particularly, a set of four threaded passageways 50provided in first clamp member 42, and a set of four correspondingthreaded passageways 52 provided in clamp member 44, are aligned to forma set of four threaded passageways traversing both clamp members forreceiving the bolts. To mount or clamp mounting adapter 40 to rail 46,clamp members 42 and 44 are positioned on opposing sides of rail 46 andbolted together so that their inner surfaces respectively engageopposing surfaces of rail 46; rail 46 is held within channel 48.Preferably, a cross-sectional diameter of rail 46 is slightly largerthan a cross-sectional diameter of channel 48 to ensure an interferencefit between rail 46 and the inner surfaces of the clamp members. Toremove mounting adapter 40 from rail 46, the clamp members are unbolted.In this way, mounting adapter 40 is removably clamped or mounted tosingle rail 46.

[0057] Although as depicted, mounting adapter 40 requires a set of fourbolts for assembly, any conventional fastening means can be used toassemble mounting adapter 40 instead of the set of four bolts. Forinstance, at a side of mounting adapter 40, first and second clampmembers 42 and 44 can be pivotally coupled together by a hingemechanism, while at an opposing side of mounting adapter 40, clampmembers 42 and 44 can be bolted together by a pair of bolts.Alternatively, a pair of opposing latching/catch mechanisms can beprovided respectively at opposing sides of mounting adapter 40 to clamptogether first and second clamp members 42 and 44.

[0058] When mounting adapter 40 is mounted to rail 46 as depicted inFIG. 2A, opposing faces of clamp members 42 and 44 meet in a horizontalplane. However, the opposing faces can meet in other planar orientationswithout sacrificing the mounting stability of the mounting adapter.Also, the opposing faces of clamp members 42 will not actually meet whenclamped to an oversized rail, i.e., a rail having a cross-sectionaldiameter greater than a cross-sectional diameter of transverse channel48. In such circumstances, mounting adapter 40 can be successfullyclamped to the oversized rail so long as the fastening means used tofasten clamp members 42 and 44 together and to the rail can accommodategaps formed between the opposing faces of clamp member 42 and 44, due tothe oversized rail. For instance, when the fastening means is a set ofbolts, the bolts must be of a sufficient length to traverse the threadedchannels for receiving the bolts and the gap formed between the opposingfaces of clamp members 42 and 44.

[0059] Insertion member 54 extends from a substantially centralizedportion of an upper surface of clamp member 42. Insertion member 54extends in an upright direction and is substantially vertically alignedwith transverse channel 48 (and rail 46 therein) when clamp members 42and 44 are clamped to rail 46. Preferably, insertion member 54 and upperclamp member 42 are integrally formed, however, insertion member 54 canbe bolted or otherwise securely fastened to upper clamp member 42.

[0060] Provided in a sidewall of insertion member 54 is an opening 56,as depicted in FIG. 2B. Resiliently biased locking or release pin 36,retained by insertion member 54, extends through opening 56. Release pin36 is transversely displaceable in first and second opposing directions(toward and away from the sidewall of insertion member 54). Insertionmember 54 has a substantially cylindrically shaped body, the diameter ofwhich is such that when insertion member 54 is inserted into hollowlower end 32 of tubular member 26 of IV pole 18, insertion member 54substantially occupies hollow lower end 32 of tubular member 26.

[0061] The assembly and operation of the IV support assembly of thepresent invention is now described with specific reference to IV pole 18and mounting adapter 40. First, mounting adapter 40 is mounted to rail46. Upper and lower clamp members 42 and 44 are fastened together usingthe set of four threaded bolts or other suitable fastening meanspreviously described, with rail 46 clamped within transverse channel 48defined between mating clamp members 42 and 44, and with insertionmember 54 extending in the upright or vertical direction.

[0062] Next, hollow lower end 32 of tubular member 26 of IV pole 18 ismoved toward insertion member 54 in the direction of arrow 60 whileresiliently biased release pin 36 is depressed to allow passage ofhollow lower end 32 over insertion member 54. Formed in a sidewall ofhollow lower end 32 of tubular member 26 is an opening 62. When opening62 is aligned with depressed release pin 36, release pin 36 engagesopening 62, i.e., release pin 36 is resiliently displaced in thetransverse or horizontal direction to extend through opening 62. In thisway, lower end 32 of tubular member 26 of the IV pole is secured toinsertion member 54. Since insertion member 54 and IV pole 18 securedthereto are substantially centered above or in vertical alignment withrail 46, a turning moment applied to mounting adapter 40 about rail 46,due to the weight of the IV pole and medical equipment carried thereby,is substantially zero. Advantageously, a very stable IV support assemblyresults.

[0063] To remove or decouple IV pole 18 from clamp member 42 andinsertion member 54, release pin 36 is again depressed to disengagerelease pin 36 from opening 62 and lower end 32 of tubular member 26,thus allowing IV pole 18 to be decoupled from insertion member 54. Inthis way, IV pole 18 is removably secured to mounting adapter 40. Itshould be appreciated that since the IV pole is common to all of themounting adapters, the mechanism used to couple the lower end of the IVpole to each of the mounting adapters, i.e., the insertion member andrelease pin (as part of the transverse locking mechanism) of themounting adapter, is shared by each mounting adapter. Advantageously,this permits use of the same IV pole with all of the different mountingadapters.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, depicted is a second alternativearrangement of a mounting adapter 70. Mounting adapter 70 includes asubstantially C-shaped clamp member 72 clamped to an opposing generallyparallelepiped-shaped clamp member 74, using a set of four threadedbolts 76 received within threaded and aligned respective channels orpassageways 78 and 80 provided in respective clamp members 72 and 74.Any suitable fastening means can be used for clamping the clamp memberstogether, as described for mounting adapter 40. When clamped together,clamp members 72 and 74 define a transverse channel 82 through mountingadapter 70 for receiving a rail 84. Rail 84 includes a plurality ofplanar faces along a length thereof and has a cross-sectionalconfiguration corresponding to a style of rail on what is known as anEmergency Medical Services (EMS) patient support frame by StrykerMedical Company of Michigan, a division of Stryker Corporation.Transverse channel 82 has a cross-sectional configuration matched tothat of rail 84.

[0065] Clamp member 72 includes an inner wall or surface along a lengththereof for engaging rail 84. The inner surface includes a pair ofparallel planar faces 86, 88 and a perpendicular face 90 between planarfaces 86 and 88. Opposing clamp member 74 includes an inner wall orsurface along a length thereof having a pair of planar faces 92, 94 forengaging rail 84. Planar faces 92 and 94 share a common edge and form anapex 96 along the length of clamp 70 at the common edge. Apex 96 opposesperpendicular face 90 of clamp member 72 when clamp members 72 and 74are fastened together.

[0066] When mounted to rail 84, planar faces 86-94 of mounting clamp 70respectively engage the plurality of planar faces of rail 84 received inchannel 82, since the cross-sectional configurations of channel 82 andrail 84 match. An inner clamp surface area of mounting adapter 70directly engaging rail 84 is advantageously maximized because of thematched cross-sectional configurations. This results in a stable IVsupport assembly. Mounting adapter 70 further includes insertion member54 and release pin 36 for insertion into the lower end of the IV pole,similar to mounting adapter 40.

[0067] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, depicted is a third alternativearrangement of a mounting adapter 100. Mounting adapter 100 includes asubstantially C-shaped clamp member 102 mated to an opposing,substantially parallelepiped shaped clamp member 104. The two clampmembers are clamped together using a set of four bolts received withinrespective threaded passageways 106 and 108 of respective clamp members102 and 104. Any suitable fastening means can be used to clamp the clampmembers together, as described for mounting adapter 100. When clampedtogether, a transverse channel or through bore 110 is formed between theclamp members for receiving a rail 112 of substantially rectangularcross-section.

[0068] Clamp member 102 includes an inner surface or face 114 of arcuatecross-section along a length thereof, for engaging a surface of rail112. Clamp member 104 includes an inner planar surface or face 116 forengaging an opposing surface or face of rail 112. When mounted to rail112, face 114 and planar face 116 engage opposing surfaces of rail 112,and more specifically, planar face 116 engages the planar face of rail112 thus providing stability against rotation of mount 100 about rail112, as is similarly achieved by mounting adapter 70. Mounting adapter100 further includes insertion member 54 and release pin 36 forinsertion into the lower end of the IV pole, similar to mountingadapters 40 and 70.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, depicted is a fourth alternativearrangement of a mounting adapter 120. Mounting adapter 120 is similarto mounting adaptor 40, with an important difference. Mounting adapter120 includes a first clamp member 122 and a second clamp member 124fastened together and defining a transverse channel 126 of substantiallycircular cross-section through mounting adapter 120, for receipt of rail46. However, unlike mounting adapter 40, first clamp member 122 includesan extension or arm portion 128 extending in a lateral direction awayfrom transverse channel 126 formed between the clamp members.Significantly, insertion member 130 of mounting adaptor 120 extends froma remote end of support arm portion 128 spaced apart from transversechannel 126.

[0070] With hollow lower end 32 of tubular member 26 of IV pole 18coupled to laterally displaced insertion member 130, IV pole 18 iscorrespondingly laterally displaced with respect to rail 46. Thismounting configuration is advantageous in settings where an IV poleprovided in substantially vertical alignment with the rail, as withmounting adapters 40, 70 and 100, interferes with either the patient orother medical equipment proximate the rail. Stated otherwise, mountingadaptor 120 advantageously provides a level of clearance from the railand patient support frame not provided by the other mounting adapters.

[0071] Although the clamp members of mounting adapter 120 togetherdefine a transverse channel of substantially circular cross-section,alternative embodiments of mounting adaptor 120 including the laterallydisplaced insertion member, can have other transverse channelconfigurations, e.g., corresponding to those of mounting adapters 70 and100. For example, in mounting adaptor 70, C-shaped clamp member 72 canbe modified to provide a laterally displaced insertion member similar toinsertion member 130 instead of insertion member 54. A similarmodification can be made to mounting adaptor 100.

[0072] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, depicted is a sixth alternativearrangement of a mounting adapter 140. Patient support frames ofteninclude rails having recesses formed therein, and it is convenient tomount IV poles to the rails using these recesses. As depicted in FIG.6A, a rail 142 includes a vertically directed recess 144 formed in a topsurface thereof. Unlike the previously described mounting adapters,mounting adapter 140 is not clamped to rail 142. Instead, mountingadapter 140 is removably inserted into recess 144 provided in rail 142.

[0073] Mounting adapter 140 includes an insertion member 54 forinsertion into lower end 26 of tubular member 26 of IV pole 18, similarto the other mounting adaptors. Release pin 36 extends through opening56 for removably securing lower end 32 of tubular member 26 of the IVpole to mounting adaptor 140. Mounting adapter 140 further includes ananchor pin 150 extending downwardly from a lower surface of insertionmember 54. To mount mounting adapter 140 and an IV pole coupled theretoto rail 142, anchor pin 150 is inserted into or received by recess 144in rail 142. To decouple mounting adapter 140 from rail 142, anchor pin150 is removed from recess 144 by displacing mounting adapter 140 in anupward vertical direction, e.g., by lifting mounting adapter 140 fromrecess 144. This removable insertion of anchor pin 150 into recess 144is represented by arrow 152 in FIG. 6A.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 7, depicted is a cross-sectional view of IVpole 18 of FIG. 1. Tubular member 26, pole extension 28, and transversemember 30 can be made of aluminum, stainless steel or any othercorrosion resistant metal having sufficient strength to carry the weightof medical equipment attached to transverse member 30 and tubular member26. Tubular member 26 includes a through bore 154 between a hollow upperend 156 and hollow lower end 32 thereof. Through bore 154 need notoccupy the full length of tubular member 26, for example, a medialportion of tubular member 26 can be solid throughout to strengthen theIV pole. However, tubular member 26 must have hollow upper and lowerends 156 and 32 to respectively receive pole extension 28 and theinsertion member used to secure the IV pole to a mounting adapter, asdescribed previously. Formed in the sidewall of lower end 32 and in asidewall of upper end 156 are respective openings 62 and 158 forengaging respective release pins.

[0075] Pole extension 28 is slidingly received within through bore 154of tubular member 26. Pole extension 28 is displaceable within throughbore 154 between an upright extended position for extending a height ofIV pole 18, and a retracted or collapsed position wherein asubstantially full length of pole extension 28 is retained withinthrough bore 154. Resiliently biased locking pin 34 provided at a lowerend of extension 28 within through bore 154 engages, i.e., extendsthrough, opening 158 of tubular member 26 to lock or secure poleextension 28 into the upright extended position, as depicted in FIG. 1.To place pole extension 28 into the collapsed position from theextended, locked position, release pin 34 is depressed to disengagerelease pin 34 from opening 158. Then, pole extension 28 is displaced(lowered) in the direction of arrow 160.

[0076] In each of the mounting adapter arrangements previouslydescribed, the insertion member forms an upright cylinder orcylindrically shaped stub. This stub is received within hollow lower end32 of tubular member 26 of the IV pole. FIG. 8 is a perspective view ofan alternative arrangement of the insertion member. Insertion member 170has a hexagonal cross-section, or more generally, insertion member 170includes an outer surface having at least one planar face 172.Correspondingly, hollow lower end 32 of tubular member 26 of the IV poleincludes an inner surface having at least one planar face for engagingplanar face(s) 172 of insertion member 170. This advantageously preventsswiveling or rotating of the IV pole about insertion member 170 and thusstabilizes the medical equipment carried by the IV pole. In common withpreviously described insertion member 54, insertion member 170 includesrelease pin 36 for removably securing the IV pole to the mountingadaptor.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 9, depicted is an embodiment of the transverselocking mechanism of the present invention for removably securing lowerend 32 of tubular member 26 of the IV pole to the insertion member.Insertion member 54 extends from body portion 180 of a mounting adapter.A transverse channel or passageway 182 of substantially cylindricalcross-section is provided through insertion member 54. An annularshoulder or flange 184 is provided at a front end of channel 182 anddefines a periphery of opening 56. At a back end of channel 182 is athreaded portion 188. A retaining screw 190 engages threaded portion 188of transverse channel 182 to seal-off the back end of channel 182. Abutton end of release pin 36 extends through opening 56 defined byshoulder 184, while a flange 192 of release pin 36 is retained or heldcaptive within channel 182 by shoulder 184. Release pin 36 isresiliently or spring biased by a resilient member or spring 194, heldcaptive and under tension between retaining screw 190 and release pin36, to extend through opening 156, as depicted. The particular form ofresilient member or spring 194 is not important so long as release pin36 is resiliently biased thereby in accordance with the functionalityherein described.

[0078] Since the button end of release pin 36 extends through opening 62formed in a wall 196 of tubular member 26, wall 196 of tubular member 26of the IV pole is held captive by release pin 36. To release the IV polefrom this captive or locked position, release pin 36 is displaced to theleft and into channel 182, i.e., depressed, against a biasing force ofresilient spring 194. Once release pin 36 has been depressedsufficiently so as to disengage from opening 62 in wall 196, the IV polecan be withdrawn or removed from insertion member 54. In summary, thetransverse locking mechanism depicted in FIG. 9 includes a resilientlybiased release pin 36 transversely displaceable in first and secondopposing directions between a locking position, depicted in FIG. 9, anda release position with respect to opening 62 in wall 196 of tubularmember 26 of the IV pole.

[0079] In an alternative arrangement, a cotter pin is used to secure theIV pole to the mounting adapter instead of the resiliently biasedrelease pin retained by the insertion member. In operation, the cotterpin is inserted through at least one opening provided in the sidewall ofthe IV pole, and through a transverse channel formed through theinsertion member, similar to the sidewall opening and the channeldepicted in FIG. 9.

[0080] In the preceding description, the various mounting adapters, 40,70, 100, and 120 include insertion members 54 or 130 for securing the IVpole to a respective mounting adapter. However, depicted in FIGS. 10Aand 10B is an alternative arrangement of a mounting adapter 200 having arecess, i.e., receptacle, instead of the insertion member, for receivingthe lower end of the IV pole and for supporting the IV pole. As depictedin FIGS. 10A and 10B, first or upper clamp member 202 includes avertically directed recess 204 in an upper surface of clamp member 202.Recess 204 is sized to receive lower end 32 of tubular member 26 of theIV pole therein. First clamp member 202 is clamped to opposing clampmember 44 and to rail 46 in a similar manner as was described formounting adapter 40.

[0081] To couple IV pole 18 to mounting adapter 200, lower end 32 oftubular member 26 is inserted into recess 204. With lower end 32retained within recess 204, mounting adapter 200 supports IV pole 18. Toremove IV pole 18 from mounting adapter 200, tubular member 26 islifted, i.e., displaced in an upward vertical direction, to disengagelower end 32 from recess 204. The removable insertion of lower end 32into recess 204 is depicted by arrow 206. It should be appreciated thatwith this arrangement, lower end 32 of tubular member 26 need not behollow, i.e., lower end 32 can be solid throughout, since no insertionmember 54 is inserted therein. Additionally, to secure lower end 32 tomounting adapter 202, a transverse locking mechanism can be added to orretained by first clamp member 202, the transverse locking mechanismadapted to engage the sidewall of lower end 32 when lower end 32 isretained within recess 204.

[0082] In the preceding Figures, the various mounting adapters, 40, 70,100, and 120 are depicted as being mounted to respective single railsextending in a first direction, i.e. the transverse direction, while therespective insertion members of the mounting adapters extend in theupright or vertical direction, i.e., perpendicular to the direction ofthe single rails. However, depicted in FIGS. 11A and 11B is analternative arrangement of a mounting adapter 210 for mounting to asingle rail 212 extending in the vertical direction, wherein single rail212 and insertion member 54 are parallel, i.e., both extend in thevertical direction when mounting adapter 210 is mounted to rail 212.

[0083] Mounting adapter 210 includes a first clamp member 214 and asecond clamp member 216 clamped together and to rail 212 in a similarmanner as was described previously for mounting adapter 40. Each offirst and second clamp members 214 and 216 includes an inner surface orwall, of substantially semi-circular cross-section, along a lengththereof, for engaging a corresponding surface of rail 212 of circularcross-section. First and second clamp members 214 and 216 togetherdefine a through bore or channel 218 in mounting adapter 210. Throughbore 218 extends in a direction parallel to the direction of insertionmember 54. In this way, mounting adapter 212 is mountable to upright orvertical rails and can support an upright IV pole when mounted thereto.It should be appreciated that a recess (e.g. recess 204 of FIG. 10A),instead of insertion member 54, can be provided in first clamp member214 to retain the IV pole.

[0084]FIGS. 12A and 12B are illustrations of another alternativearrangement of a mounting adapter 220. Mounting adapter 220 includes afirst or upper clamp member 222 and an opposed second or lower clampmember 224. Each of first and second clamp members 222 and 224 includesan inner surface or wall of arcuate, and preferably semicircular,cross-section along a length thereof, for engaging a correspondingsurface of a single rail 46 (FIG. 2A) of substantially circularcross-section. First and second clamp members 222 and 224 togetherdefine a transverse through bore or channel 48 through mounting adapter220 for receiving rail 46.

[0085] First clamp member 222 includes a vertical through bore 225, andsecond clamp member 224 includes a vertical through bore 226 havingsubstantially the same diameter as through bore 225 and in substantialvertical alignment with through bore and 225. Through bores 225 and 226together define a vertical through bore 228 through mounting adapter 220when clamp members 222 and 224 are clamped together and to rail 46,using any suitable fastening means.

[0086] Mounting adapter 220 is adapted for use with an IV pole having alower end 230 as depicted in FIG. 12A. The IV pole includes a lower end232 of an upright tubular member of the IV pole. Lower end 232terminates in a narrowed shoulder portion 234, and includes an insertionpin 236 depending vertically from shoulder portion 234. Insertion pin236 has a diameter less than a diameter of lower end 232 of the tubularmember and is centered along an axis of the tubular member. Insertionpin 236 can be integrally formed with lower end 232 of the tubularmember, or alternatively, insertion pin 236 can be a separate memberremovably coupled to tubular member 232, e.g., similar to mountingadapter 140 of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0087] To couple the IV pole having lower end 232 to mounting adapter220, insertion pin 236 is inserted into through bore 228 so thatshoulder portion 234 of lower end 232 rests upon an opposing (upper)surface of first clamp member 222. In this way, mounting adapter 220supports the IV pole. To remove the IV pole from mounting adapter 220,the IV pole is lifted to disengage insertion pin 236 from through bore228. The removable insertion of insertion pin 236 into through bore 228is depicted by arrow 238.

[0088] In another embodiment of the present invention, IV pole 18 ismobilized using a wheeled trolley. In this embodiment, lower end 32 oftubular member 26 is removably mounted to the wheeled trolley. Thewheeled trolley includes a base having a lower and an upper surface. Aplurality of spaced wheels, e.g., four or six wheels, are attached tothe bottom surface of the base and permit the base to roll freely over afloor surface. The upper surface of the base includes either insertionmember 54 or recess 204 therein to support, i.e., removably secure orretain, respectively, lower end 32 of tubular member 26 of the IV pole.When IV pole 18 is supported by the upper surface of the wheeledtrolley, IV pole 18 can be wheeled across the floor surface, thuspermitting transportability of IV pole 18. In an alternative arrangementof the wheeled trolley, the upper surface of the base includes anupright tubular member having a through bore therein. The through boreis sized to receive a length of tubular member 26 of IV pole 18 therein.Tubular member 26 is secured within the through bore by a transverselocking mechanism. In addition to the transverse locking mechanismspreviously described, a transverse screw can be used to secure tubularmember 26 within the through bore.

[0089] A mounting adapter kit of the present invention comprises atleast two different mounting adapters previously described. Forinstance, a mounting adapter kit comprises mounting adapter 40 togetherwith mounting adapter 70, or alternatively, mounting adapter 40 togetherwith mounting adapter 100. Other adapter kits comprising alternativepermutations and combinations of mounting adapters can be constructed asthe need arises.

[0090] The present invention supports transfer of an IV pole between twoor more different mounting adapters mounted to two or more respectivepatient support frames having different single rail configurations, e.g.between two beds having rails with different cross-sectionalconfigurations. For example, assume that

[0091] 1) mounted to rail 46 of circular cross-section of a firstpatient support frame is mounting adapter 40,

[0092] 2) mounted to rail 112 or 84, of rectangular cross-section or of“Stryker” configuration, of a second patient support frame is mountingadapter 70 or 100, and

[0093] 3) secured to mounting adapter 40 mounted to the first patientsupport frame is IV pole 18 carrying medical equipment thereon.

[0094] Then, transfer of IV pole 18 from the first patient support frameto the second patient support frame is effected efficiently by

[0095] 1) removing IV pole 18 from mounting adapter 40 mounted to thefirst patient support frame, and

[0096] 2) securing IV pole 18 to mounting adapter 70 or 100 mounted tothe second patient support frame.

[0097] Reference will be now made to FIGS. 13-14 where anotherembodiment of the present invention is illustrated. FIG. 13 is aperspective view of an IV supporting system comprising IV pole 134 andmovable stand-alone base 136, while FIGS. 14A and 14B are front,partially sectional views of the system shown in FIG. 13 when IV pole134 is placed in and removed from base 136, respectively.

[0098] Base 136 includes upper plate 131, lower plate 132 and polemember 133 fastened to upper plate 131 and lower plate 132 at upper andlower ends thereof, respectively. Preferably, lower plate 132 is a steelpanel and pole member 133 is a metal tube made of e.g. aluminum.However, other arrangements are not excluded and, as will be describedherein below, any pole member having at least a hollow end, e.g. anupper end, can be used as pole member 133 in base 136 of the presentinvention. Although, it is within the scope of the present invention tomanufacture upper plate 131 from any materials of suitable mechanicalstrength, e.g. steel, it is preferable to make upper plate 131 fromplastic to lower the center of gravity of base 136 as well as of thewhole system when IV pole 134 is placed in base 136. Upper plate 131 andlower plate 132 are preferably sized so as to prevent medical equipment,e.g. IV bags, hung on the IV pole from hitting walls, or at least lessenpotential damages caused by such impacts, during transportation of theIV system e.g. in hospital hallways.

[0099] Upper plate 131 has a through hole (best seen in FIG. 14B) in acentral region thereof. The through hole is in alignment with tube-likeupper end of pole member 133 to provide passage for IV pole 134. Thethrough hole may be sized to circumferentially fit over the uppermostend of pole member 133, as can be seen in FIG. 14B, or cover it, as canbe seen in FIG. 15. Upper plate 131 is preferably fastened to polemember 133 by fastening member 1315 and bolt 1322 extending throughfastening member 1315 and making contact with the outer surface of polemember 133. Fastening member 1315 may be two or more discrete L-shapedelements arranged opposing each other diametrically of pole member 133.Preferably, fastening member 1315 is a sleeve circumferentially fittedover the upper end portion of pole member 133. Fastening member 1315 maybe made separate from upper plate 131 and fastened thereto by bolts1321, as can be seen in FIG. 14B, or made integral with upper plate 131,as can be seen in FIG. 15.

[0100] Lower plate 132 is fastened to pole member 133 by e.g. bolt 1330extending upwardly from the underside of lower plate 132. A number, e.g.4, of wheels or castors 138 are mounted to the underside of lower plate132 to render base 136 moveable. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13-14four castors are used (only two of them shown). However, it is withinthe scope of the present invention to provide base 136 with more or lesswheels to suit a particular requirement.

[0101] An advantage of base 136 of the present invention is that in caseno IV poles are placed in the base, as depicted in FIG. 14B, upper plate131 of base 136 can be used as a portable tray carrying variousinstruments needed for medical or minor surgical procedures e.g. sterilesurgical or exam instruments, syringes etc. The portable tray can alsohold instruments and IVs for use in veterinary surgery suites.Additional equipment can be placed on lower plate 132 as well. When noIV poles are placed in base 136, a hole 1327 (FIG. 14B) exists in thecentral region of upper plate 131. The hole can be left as is or coveredby an optional cover (not shown) to prevent unwanted objects fromfalling in the inside of pole member 133.

[0102] IV pole 134, except for lower end portion 137 thereof, issubstantially identical to IV pole 18 described in the foregoingdescription of FIG. 1. More particularly, IV pole 134 includes anupright or vertically directed elongate tubular member 1342, an optionalupright elongate pole extension 1341, and a transverse member forcarrying medical equipment. Pole extension 1341 is supported by tubularmember 1342 and is secured thereto in an extended position by a lockingor release pin 139. That is, pole extension 1341 is telescopicallyretractable into and extendable from tubular member 1342. When poleextension 1341 is extended from tubular member 1342, extra hydrostaticpressure may be obtained. Preferably, IV pole 134 is a tube or a seriesof telescopically fitted tubes made of metal e.g. aluminum. However,other arrangements are not excluded as long as IV pole 134 is lightweight and has a sufficient mechanical strength.

[0103] Reference will be now made to lower end portion 137 which servesas a main difference between IV poles 134 and 18. As best seen in FIG.14A, lower end portion 137 comprises tubular member 1371 tightlyencapsulating dowel 1351 in which pin 135 is partially embedded. Asubstantial part of pin 135 (FIG. 13) is of a smaller cross sectionaldimension (e.g. diameter) and extends downwardly from an end flange 1352of a larger cross sectional dimension (e.g. diameter).

[0104] This configuration is similar to the one shown in FIG. 12A inwhich lower end 232 of an IV pole has shoulder portion 234 and insertionpin 236 depending vertically from shoulder portion 234. Therefore IVpole 134 is usable with mounting adapter 220 shown in FIG. 12 byinserting pin 135 into through bore 228 so that end flange 1352 of lowerend portion 137 rests upon an opposing (upper) surface of first clampmember 222. It is not excluded that mounting adapter 220 has a recessinstead of through bore 228 in which case IV pole 134 might be supportedby mounting adapter 220 when distal end 1355 of pin 135 comes to rest ona bottom of the recess (not shown).

[0105] The configuration of pin 135 is also suitable for IV pole 134 tobe directly placed in recess or through bore 144 formed in rail 142 ofthe patient support frame shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this instance,mounting adapter 140 will not be necessary.

[0106] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14A, distal end 1355 of pin135 rests on and is supported from below by a transverse supportingsurface i.e. bolt 1310 transversely extending through a wall of polemember 133 although other arrangements are not excluded. Bolt 1310 maybe permanently screwed into the wall of pole member 133.

[0107] It should be now clear that IV pole 134 is usable with numeroussupporting elements such as mounting adapter 220, rail 142 andstand-alone moveable base 136. The IV pole can be quickly moved amongthe above supporting elements in a manner substantially as describedabove.

[0108] The pin configuration of FIG. 14A is advantageous because IV pole134 is extremely light weight yet mechanically strong. In a preferredembodiment, tubular member 1371 is made of aluminum, dowel 1351 is madeof wood and pin 135 is made of steel. The finished product is as lightas 1.5 lbs and can hold as many as three IV pump of 13 lbs each.

[0109] It is important to have the outer dimension of at least the lowerend portion of IV pole 134 and inner dimension of at least the upper endportion of pole member 133 properly sized so as to provided snug fittingtherebetween. It is also important that a sufficient length of IV pole134 be received inside pole member 133. The above two factors ensurethat IV pole 134 in most cases will not be falling off base 136 afterbeing placed therein. Thus, IV pole 134 can be steadily retained by polemember 133 without the need for additional locking mechanisms.

[0110] In a preferred embodiment, upper plate 131 and lower plate 132are 16×16×⅛″ steel plates, pole member 133 and IV pole 134 are 35″aluminum tubes having inner and outer diameters, respectively, of about1″. Wooden dowel 1351 is 4″ long. Bolt 1310 is located about 6″ belowupper plate 131 and pin 135 is sized so that at least 3″ of tubularmember 1371 is received inside pole member 133. Pin 135 is ½″ indiameter. IV pole 134 is about 24″ long when pole extension 1341 isretracted. Castors are 5″ wheels.

[0111] It will be readily seen by one of ordinary skill in the art thatthe present invention fulfills all of the objects set forth above. Afterreading the foregoing specification, one of ordinary skill will be ableto affect various changes, substitutions of equivalents and variousother aspects of the invention as broadly disclosed herein. It istherefore intended that the protection granted hereon be limited only bythe definition contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. An intravenous support assembly, comprising: abase comprising at least one base member and a first upright elongatepole member being connected to said at least one base member, said firstupright elongate pole member having an internal hollow spacecommunicated with an outside of said first upright elongate pole membervia an opening formed at an upper end thereof, and a transversesupporting surface formed in the internal hollow space and spaceddownwardly from the upper end of said first upright elongate polemember; and a second upright elongate pole member having a lower endportion adapted to be telescopically received in the internal hollowspace of said first upright elongate pole member and fully supportedfrom below by the transverse supporting surface.
 2. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein said at least one base member comprises upper and lowerbase members connected to the upper end and a lower end of said firstupright elongate pole member, respectively.
 3. The assembly of claim 2,wherein said upper base member is configured as a substantially flattray having a raised peripheral rim.
 4. The assembly of claim 2, whereinsaid upper base member has a through aperture in alignment with theopening at the upper end of said first upright elongate pole member toallow said second upright elongate pole member to extend through saidupper base member into the internal hollow space of said first uprightelongate pole member.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising abolt transversely extending through a wall of said first uprightelongate pole member into the internal hollow space thereof, the boltdefining the transverse supporting surface.
 6. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the lower end portion of said second upright elongate polemember snugly fits in the internal hollow space of said first uprightelongate pole member.
 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein at least onesixth of an entire length of said second upright elongate pole member isreceivable in the internal hollow space, whereby said second uprightelongate pole member is steadily retained by said first upright elongatepole member without a positive locking mechanism.
 8. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the lower end portion of said second upright elongatepole member is configured as a male portion comprising a pin of asmaller dimension extending downwardly from a flange of a largerdimension, a distal end of said pin coming to rest on the transversesupporting surface when said second upright elongate pole member isinserted into the internal hollow space of said first upright elongatepole member.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a mountingadapter adapted to be removably mounted to and carried by a single railof a patient support frame on which a patient is carried, said mountingadapter having a bore extending downwardly from an upper surfacethereof, the bore being sized and shaped to receive said pin thereinwhile the upper surface of said mounting adapter being adapted to form astop for said flange.
 10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the lower endportion of said second upright elongate pole member comprises a sleevetightly encapsulating a dowel in which said pin is partially embedded.11. A base for use in an IV system to provide support for an IV pole,said base comprising: a lower plate member; an upper plate member havinga through hole in a central region thereof; and an upright elongate polemember having upper and lower end portions connected to said upper andlower plate members, respectively; wherein the upper end portion of saidupright elongate pole member is made tube-like and positioned inalignment with the through hole of said upper plate member so as to forma passage for the IV pole; and said upright elongate pole member furthercomprises a transverse supporting surface formed in said tube-like upperend portion thereof and spaced downwardly from said upper plate memberso as to form a stop and support for the IV pole.
 12. The base of claim11, further comprising a plurality of castors attached to a underside ofsaid lower plate member so as to render said base movable.
 13. The baseof claim 11, wherein said upper plate member is configured as asubstantially flat tray having a raised peripheral rim.
 14. The base ofclaim 11, wherein said lower plate member, said upright elongate polemember, and said upper plate member is made of steel, aluminum andplastic, respectively, thereby lowering the center of gravity of saidbase.
 15. The base of claim 11, further comprising a bolt transverselyextending through a wall of said tube-like upper end portion into aninternal hollow space thereof, the bolt defining the transversesupporting surface.
 16. The base of claim 11, wherein said upper platemember comprises a sleeve at a underside thereof, the sleevecircumferentially fits over said tube-like upper end portion and isfastened thereto by a bolt extending through the sleeve and makingcontact with said tube-like upper end portion.
 17. An IV pole suitablefor use with an IV support base member having a cavity sized and shapedto partially receive the IV pole therein, said IV pole comprising: anupper end portion having at least a holding member for holding andcarrying external medical equipment; and a lower end portion configuredas a male portion comprising a pin of a smaller dimension extendingdownwardly from a flange of a larger dimension, the lower end portioncomprising a metal sleeve tightly encapsulating a wooden dowel in whichsaid pin is partially embedded.
 18. The IV pole of claim 17, whereinsaid upper end portion is telescopically retractable into and extendablefrom said lower end portion.
 19. A method of moving an IV pole between apatient support frame including a single rail and a stand-alone movableIV supporting base having an internal upright passage and a firsttransverse supporting surface formed in the passage, said methodcomprising the steps of: mounting a mounting adapter to the single railof the patient support frame, said mounting adapter having a bore and asecond transverse supporting surface; inserting the IV pole into one ofthe passage of the IV supporting base and the bore of the mountingadapter until a lower end of the IV pole rests on and is fully supportedfrom below by the respective one of the first and second transversesupporting surfaces; removing the IV pole from said one of the passageand the bore; and inserting the IV pole into the other of the passageand the bore until the lower end thereof rests on and is fully supportedfrom below by the other of the first and second transverse supportingsurfaces, respectively.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the lowerend of the IV pole has distinct first and second supported portionsspaced longitudinally, and when the IV pole is inserted into the passageor the bore, the first or second supported portions comes to rest on thefirst or second transverse supporting surfaces, respectively.